Daniil But keeps making a real case for himself in Utah’s preseason picture, and the latest look only sharpened the conversation around where he belongs in the lineup.
After Utah’s 4-1 loss at Colorado on Sunday night, the team opened the second preseason game with Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz alongside But on the first line. The trio clicked quickly. Each player scored once, Keller and But each picked up an assist, and But also helped create a quality chance that Keller finished.
That kind of showing naturally opens the door to bigger questions about Utah’s forward groups. The most likely regular-season setup still appears to be Keller, Schmaltz and Vincent Trocheck on the top line, with Trocheck sliding in on the right side. But But’s play is making people wonder whether he could push his way into the top nine, or even climb higher.
There are other moving pieces, too. Logan Cooley and Dylan Guenther are expected to stay together, and Anders Lee scored twice last night and is likely to play left wing on the second line. That would leave Trocheck to drop to the third line, where he’d join players such as Lawson Crouse and Barrett Hayton.
None of that is locked in, of course. But is simply forcing the issue with his play.
The 6-foot-5 winger has looked confident, made smart passes, and shown a real knack for helping Utah set up offense. He has also shown he can finish, which is part of why he was taken 12th overall in the 2023 NHL draft.
That’s a notable shift from last season, when the 21-year-old struggled to find his rhythm in limited action. He scored three goals and added four assists in 29 games and didn’t look as comfortable, with some mistakes mixed in along the way.
This preseason version of But has looked different. In the time he’s had, he’s played like a disruptive force who can swing a game, which is exactly the kind of profile that gets a coaching staff thinking.
Trocheck still looks like the safest bet for the top line right now, given his experience and versatility. But if But keeps this up, especially against the Vegas Golden Knights in the final preseason game, Utah may have to keep reconsidering that arrangement.
Utah fans are already buzzing about Tij Iginla, Caleb Desnoyers and others. But But is making sure his name belongs in that conversation, too.
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